Back-up or go-around tong



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH GORRIGAN, OF DUNCAN, OKLAHOMA.

BACK-UP OR GO-AROUND TONG.

Application filed March 2, 1920. Serial No. 362,663.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH CORRIGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Duncan, in the county of Stephens and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Back-Up or Gro-Around Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for disconnecting the sections of a drill rod or tube at the joints as the rod or tube is withdrawn from the hole or well, for the purpose of disposing of the sections or joints succes sively under conditions which will permit of their subsequent union, as the rod or pipe is returned to the well or hole, the purpose of withdrawal, ordinarily, being to permit of the replacement or repair of the bit or of the standing valve.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art the usual practice is to employ quick-acting screw joints in the couplings or unions between the sections of drill rod or tubing which are added successively as the well is drilled or as the tube is lowered, and especially when a rotary or torsional strain is applied to the tube or rod as in. the operation of a. rotary drill, and also due to a certain extent to corrosion and accumulations at the joints, the disconnection of the sections of rod or tube is attended with a certain amount of difli culty and involves the application. of a considerable amount of force,owhile at the same time the lower of the two disconnected sections and .to which is connected the portion of the, rod or tubing in the well, must be supported after the breaking of the joint of parts of which a preferred embodiment 1s shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fi ure 1 is a side view of the apparatus, popu arly known in the oil fields as a backup or go-around.

F 1g. 2 is a plan view of the same on a horizontal plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The device consists essentially of a rotary table or platform 10 consisting of a revoluble head having gear teeth 11 from which power may be communicated thereto, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrows 1n the drawing, the same being mounted upon a base 12 from which rises a standard or other fixed anchor 13 for re ceiving the pressure of holding tongs 14: provided with a head 15 for engaging and gripping the upper member 16 of the union coupling by which the tube or rod sections Orlengths 17 and 18 are united. Any suitable holding tongs or equivalent tool may be-employed in this connection having, for example, an arm 19 for contact with the standard or anchor 13 to lock the upper member of thetube or rod section against rotary movement while the lower member 20 0f said coupling or union is turned relative thereto to break the screw joint represented at 21 therebetween.

The clamp which engages the lower member of the coupling or union in order that the rotary motion of the platform or table 10 may be communicated thereto to disengage the threads of the union consists of complemental members 22 and 23, respectively having arcuate jaws 24 and 25 for embracing the lower union or coupling member and pivotally connected together at 26, to the end that'the relative swinging movement of the stems 27 and 28 of'said clamp members in one direction will serve to close the jaws whereas relative swinging movement in the opposite direct-ion will serve to open the same or relative pressure upon the interposed coupling or union member. The inner surfaces of the jaws are preferably serrated as shown to insure a firm frictional engagement with the coupling or union member.

The stem of one of the clamp members is fulcrumed or mounted for swinging movement upon a pin 29 carried by the table or platform 10, and the stem of the other clamp member is adapted for hearing contact with a pin 30 also carried by said platform or table, the stem 28 preferably having a pivotal latch arm 31 which by swinging movement in the plane of the body portion of the arm or perpendicular to the plane of the clamping jaws may be disengaged from the pin 30 so as to permit of relative movement of the stems of the clamp members in a direction serving to disengage the jaws from the coupling or union member. The disengaged position of the latch arm is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 while in full lines the locked position is illustrated, it being obvious thatsimply by swinging the clamp bodily upon the fulcrum pin 29 until the coupling or union member 20 is received between the jaws 24 and 25, and then continuing the swinging movement of the stem 28 to compress the coupling or union member between the clamp-jaws'until the latch arm 31 can be'dropped behind the holding pin 30;

the effective engagement of the union member and the'locking'of the same to the rotary platform or table will be secured to'the end that the rotary movement ofthe latter, assuming thatthe upper coupling or union member 16 has been locked against rotary movement by the holding tool 14, will result in the disconnection of the coupling or union members; Moreover the lower tube or rod section will: besecurely supported after the breaking-of the joint to give ample opportunity' for the application thereto of the means employed for further withdrawing the drill tube'or rod from the well.

It will be seen that thecomplemental' members of the clamping-device by which the lower member of the coupling or-union is locked to the rotary tablelor platform consists essentially of a'lever 22"of the first order having its power point at 29 and its lever of the third order 23 having'its power point at 26 and its fulcrum at 30 with the 7 load point represented by thebearing of the jaw '25 in opposed relation with the jaw'24.

An important practical advantage of the apparatus is that it may be thrown into and out of operative position or engagement with the union or coupling to'be broken without loss of time or effort upon the part of the operators and when in engaging position rotary head and a clamp car ied ;said head for engagement with the fo ther c 11 pling or union member and -iconsisting'jof complement'al lever members respectlvely of the first and third order with the inner eX-' tremity of the former pivotally connected with an intermediate point of"thejlatter and. provided with opposed clamping j aws,,saidclamping members having terminals bear ing upon the rotary head.

2. An apparatus of "the class described having in combination with means for. hold-v ing one member of a coupling oruni'on, a ro taryhead and a clamp carried by said head for engagementwith the other coupling-or unlon member and consisting of plvotally connected members provided at the r inner ends with opposed jaws for engaging a second coupling or union'member, one of saidclamping members 'belng pivotally mounted upon the rotary head and the other being provided with a latch arm for engagement witha fixed bearing on said head.

3." An apparatus of the class described having in combination with means for'hold 111g one member of acoupling'or' union, a

rotary head and a clamp carried by saidhiid for engagement with the other coupling or union member and consisting of complemental pivotally connected clamping imem bers provided'at their inner ends with op; posed jawsfor engaging asecond coupling or'union member, one of said clamping mem'-. bers being pivotally mounted upon the re:

ta-ry head for swinging movement in a'plane perpendicular to the axis thereof,' and the other of said clamping members being pro- 1 vided with a pivotal latch'arm for swinging" movement in a plane perpendicular to; that of sa1d-jaws,for detachable engagement with afixed bearing on therotary head. Q In testimony whereof I "affix my'f'signature. r f r I 7 HUGHfCORRIGAN 

